Downs became Betty Ford's social secretary from October 1975 through the end of the administration, and previously served in the in the White House Office of Bicentennial Liaison.

Laurie Firestone took the job in 1988 after serving as Barbara Bush's social secretary during the vice presidential years.

Bess Abell was Lady Bird Johnson's social secretary during the vice presidential years, then served in the White House during the entire Johnson administration.

Downs said the job is misunderstood.

"People say, 'You're just the party people.' But they don't realize how much business gets conducted during those events."

I love all things presidential, and I could have listened to this discussion for a week.

Abell, in particular, had the audience laughing with stories about Johnson's out-sized personality.

"If he liked something you did, you didn't hear about it from some third assistant to somebody, you heard it right from him," she said. "And if he didn't like something, you heard it from him, too."

The social secretaries are responsible for affairs such as state dinners, and every aspect is scrutinized over and over. People in the job have to be diplomatic and crafty.

Abell spoke about the fuss over Luci Johnson's wedding dress. David Dubinsky, head of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, was upset after learning the dress was not made in a union shop, and the White House wanted to keep the powerful labor leader happy.

Abell said she scrambled to find another firm that had some unionized workers and quickly had another dress made. Comparing them both, she picked the first one -- but quietly removed the union label from the other.